Cage nut assemblies are used in various applications, such as with respect to vehicles. For example, a cage nut assembly may be positioned on a vehicle frame that is to be coated with paint. Typically, the nut remains over the frame until the coating process is completed so that the layer of paint covers all, or substantially all, of the frame. Coating the frame in this manner minimizes corrosion. After the coating process is complete, the nut may be torqued toward the vehicle frame to provide a secure connection between the frame and another component, such as a door panel.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate isometric top and bottom views, respectively, of a conventional cage nut 10. A similar cage nut is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,644,902, entitled “Cage-Nut Assembly.”
Referring to FIGS. 1-2, the cage nut 10 includes a cage 12 having a nut 14 positioned within an internal chamber 16. A plurality of fingers 18 support the nut 14 within the cage 12. In particular, the nut 14 is suspended above bottom edges 20 of the cage 12. In this position, a top surface 22 of the nut 14 may abut into an internal surface of a top wall 24 of the cage 12. The cage 12 also includes a central opening 26 formed through the top wall 24 that allows a threaded opening 28 of the nut 14 to be exposed.
When a fastener, such as a screw or bolt (not shown) is inserted into the threaded opening 28 of the nut 14 and tightened toward the nut 14, the nut 14 is forced downward (as shown in FIG. 1) in the direction of arrow A. During this movement, the fingers 18 are spread open as the cage 12 continues to be forced in the direction of arrow A, thereby allowing the nut 14 to be forced toward a surface of a component, such as a vehicle frame.
The fingers 18 of the cage 12 sometimes bend, however, when the cage 12 and the nut 14 are assembled together. For instance, when a bolt is inserted into the threaded opening 28, the fingers 18 may inadvertently bend, thereby allowing the nut to prematurely drop within the cage 12.
Moreover, the fingers 18 may block movement and hinder proper alignment of the nut 14 when a user forces the nut 14 into position over a structure. That is, the fingers 18 may hinder movement of the nut 14 when a user actually intends to move the nut 14 into a proper position on a structure.